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by msh 2091 days ago
No matter if there is more, how is being arrested by the police and risking 2 years in prison appropriate for libel in a review?

I think it is good warning people not to be tourists in countries with draconian laws.

1 comments

Nobody forced the guy to come and work in Thailand. He isn’t a tourist though. If he works here he should know about the laws. Ignorance is not protection against the laws.

We see the same with many foreign tourists who come and assume they can ride motorcycles without valid driving license and experience. Lots of them injured and asking for money in gofundme pages to pay hospital bills since insurance won’t cover illegal behavior.

If I were to take your way of thinking then USA should be also on travel warning list. A (Canadian) foreigner living there was killed when she called police to report someone breaking into her house. However she was killed by police. I think that’s a bit more drastic than being arrested for (allegedly) not showing up in person to the police station as per report.

The law is sometimes abused by people but it’s not draconian.

Defendants are usually called and asked to appear at police station to make their own statement. Very civilized way of handling.

Then you have most likely two times there to negotiate with the person who filed report.

If nothing comes out of it, and only then, criminal charges are filed and investigated.

A judge has to write an arrest warrant and does it if the defendant didn’t answer to calls by police to appear.

Then and only then they can arrest him. He would have been brought to the station, went to jail for not following proceeding and he got out on bail.

So far this seems like a very appropriate handling.

Also I’m sure that before the case starts the judge usually ask both parties if this can be negotiated first. They have more critical cases than to deal with stupid posts on social media.

If no agreement can be reached then there is a trial and it’s not guaranteed that defendant would get 2y in prison unless is unreasonable. He has a lot of influence there. His reaction will determine the proceedings and he will get a fair trial.

You’re inventing things and twisting reality. People are less likely to get in trouble with the law in Thailand than to get shot by police in the US.

So please let me know how reasonable it is for foreigners in USA to get killed by police when calling 911 and reporting a break in.

What am I inventing and twisting?

I am not questioning weather or not the law have been followed, but if the law it self is just.

I think its draconian that a person can get arrested because someone accuses them of libel (they have not even been convicted). Why is people getting pressured at the police station (it is a pressure that the accuser can force people to go to a police station) to make a settlement very civilized(I would not think the police should be involved at all)?

I think it would be healthy for tourists to consider the laws of the country they visit before visiting them, and don't visit/spend their money in countries with harsh laws.

I also don't think the american justice system sounds that great (but I am also not american).

> So please let me know how reasonable it is for foreigners in USA to get killed by police when calling 911 and reporting a break in.

It's completely unreasonable. As is getting someone thrown in jail for writing negative reviews. ;)